Barston Blog

We have a wide variety of articles to inform, educate and amuse you as part of your learning journey! Whether you're starting your learning journey or at an advanced stage, we like to think that there's something of interest for everyone in our blog.

Latest Post

3 Sep '26

Is A-Level Sociology Right for You?

Choosing an A-level is easier when you already have some idea of what studying the subject will actually involve. With Sociology, that is not always the case. Most students encounter subjects such as English, Maths and Science throughout school, whereas Sociology may be completely new when they begin considering…
Choosing a Course Careers Miscellaneous Academic Confidence College News
16 Jun '20

How To Make Money As A Photographer

With over 3.5 billion smartphone users in the world and almost all of them able to take high-quality pictures, the art of photography is an utmost priority in business. However, telling your friends and family that you want to pursue a career in photography may raise eyebrows. It is…
5 Jun '20

Nutritionist vs Dietitian - What's the Difference?

The vast majority of people interchange nutritionist with dietitian as if they were the same thing. And although these professions are incredibly similar in the functions that they research and serve, they are very different roles. To help you get to grips with the key differences between nutritionists…
26 May '20

What Are The 5 Fields of Psychology?

In the broadest of terms, psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, and compared to many of the other sciences, it is one of the most modern and is certainly the most progressive. 150 years ago, psychology was structured in two core theoretical forms: Structuralism and…
19 May '20

8 Skills All Good Managers Need

Good managers are quite rare, and becoming a good manager can enhance your career prospects significantly. Whether you have recently completed your time in education or have been working for a number of years, there comes a time for most, when you hope to progress into a management position.
Reading time: 8 minutes
22 Apr '20

The Beginner's Guide to Mindfulness

"Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor." - Thich Nhat Hanh   Do you ever feel like your mind is too full? Maybe you’re struggling to concentrate and achieve your goals? You need mindfulness. Why?…
Reading time: 16 minutes
14 Mar '20

5 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Language

What are the benefits of learning a language? From building friendships to increating your job prospects, we reveal all, with tips on getting started.
26 Feb '20

Starting Now: How Olga Rediscovered Her Passion in Retirement

At aged 61, Olga discovered that there is no barrier to learning. She enrolled on our bookkeeping course in 2019 from her home in sunny Greece. Read about her experience.
16 Feb '20

10 Questions That WILL Change Your Life

A simple, self-reflective task that helps you recognise what you want in life and how to take action, starting today, starting this minute, starting now.
31 Jan '20

20 Questions With The Head of Our Student Advisers

Meet Paul Dixon - the new enrolments manager at Barston College. With decades of experience offering expert advice, we caught five to throw 20 questions his way. Read more...
3 Jan '20

Starting Now - Taking Your First Step To Success

When was the last time you said you’d do something tomorrow?   Like going to the gym for a proper workout, quitting smoking or spring cleaning your house. Thing is, tomorrow comes and you’re still saying the exact same thing: I’ll do it tomorrow; one more day won’t…
16 Dec '19

Career Change At 50: It’s Never Too Late

Reaching 50 can feel like a daunting milestone, but don't let it stop you from living life to the fullest! Don't let people dictate how you spend your golden years... if there is something new that you want to learn or an activity that ignites your passion, why not…
22 Nov '19

Thinking Big, Working Small: We Meet Willard Wigan MBE

For the past six months, we've been sharing our students' 'I can, I will' stories. This week, we had the opportunity to explore the journey of one of the most influential, inspirational and talented artists alive today... Dr Willard Wigan MBE. Everybody has said ‘I can, I will’…
11 Oct '19

Family-Friendly Halloween Activities

You may have noticed the recent changes in the weather and the rapid shift from daylight to night-time before 5pm… we're convinced it's because Halloween is near. We've seen it written in the leaves falling from the trees – the witches are brewing up spooky times for all you…
Reading time: 10 minutes
29 Jul '19

Case Study: Mark's 'I Can I Will' Story

Often, it's personal circumstances that drive people to home learning. For Mark Reilly, he lived a hectic double life. By day, he was a police officer in his community. By night, a carer for his disabled daughter. When he started studying with Barston College, his life was intense, he…
17 Jul '19

How Emojis Make Learning Awesome

As a college, one topic that arises from time to time that makes us chuckle is the use of emojis. Why? Because some people take them too seriously. We've heard claims that emojis are a detriment to the English Language and, as a result, the nation is becoming dumber. The…
Reading time: 8 minutes
6 Jun '19

Case Study: Suzanne's 'I Can I Will' Story

Suzanne came to visit the team at Barston College to tell us her I can I will story. People often ask me, why go back to college now? Well, after years of full-time work, living abroad, and having a family, I was ready for a new challenge.
1 Apr '19

Case study: Chris's 'I Can I Will' story

My name's Chris; I'm 39 years-old, come from Dartford, and I work as Head of Core Operations for one of the world's largest reinsurance brokers: Marsh & McLennan Companies. I'm responsible for 150 staff members, handle a budget of 15 million a year, and in my spare time,…
5 Feb '19

Childcare Trends All Parents Should Know

At one time, childcare was a simple function whereby the carer babysat a child, feeding them, keeping them clean, and playing with them. However, the childcare sector has evolved and continues to evolve. Guest blogger Emily Wilson offers a range of modern trends that show this evolution: Emily Wilson…
Reading time: 5 minutes
10 Dec '18

8 Study Tips to Stay Motivated This Christmas

What’s on your mind this Christmas? For many students (or just about anyone worldwide), it’s quality family time, opening (and giving, of course) presents, and binging on movies, mince pies and prosecco. As we’re about ready to tuck into our third turkey dinner at home, the last thing we’re thinking…
15 Nov '18

Should you become a bookkeeper?

Are you great with numbers and like the idea of mining data, surfing spreadsheets, and keeping a business’s accounts up to date? Then you might find that bookkeeping is an ideal starting point for a long career in finance. Managing finances is hard for many,…
2 Oct '18

Our Leader Wins His Second Award of 2018

The room is tense, quiet at Nachural's Entrepreneurship Awards as the final award of the evening, the big one, Entrepreneur of the Year, is about to be announced. As a team, our eyes flitter in anticipation, shifting from our MD Matt Jones (up for the award) to the stage where…
18 Sep '18

Childminding: the perfect career from home

A career in childminding makes it easy to support your child without sacrificing a thing Are you an ambitious individual? I bet that when you’re at work, you’re in your element. The challenge of a regular 9-5 day keeps you fulfilled and eager to progress – that’s until the B-Bomb…
Reading time: 9 minutes
25 Jul '18

Increase Job Satisfaction for Happier Mondays

Do you hate Mondays and live for the weekend? Increase your job satisfaction today! It’s Friday evening, the workplace is shutting its doors for the weekend, and you can’t wait to get your swag on, head to the local bar or catch those Netflix episodes you missed last week. Thing…
Reading time: 7 minutes
11 Jun '18

What is a Credit Search?

Credit check? Soft and hard credit searches? Footprint? Credit reporting? Credit file? Scores? All of this can be both confusing and daunting if you don’t know what it means. Here, we explain what happens when a business or company performs a credit search and…
Reading time: 4 minutes
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